


Every Step You Take

by FrozenHearts



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014), Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Batfamily Feels, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/F, Friendship, Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Jason Todd is Red Hood, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Nightwing (1996) #93, Non-Consensual Touching, Obsession, Obsessive Behavior, Police Officer Dick Grayson, Protective Barry Allen, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, Restraints, Stalking, Teen Titans References, Teen Titans as Family, Tim Drake is Red Robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-01-15 14:18:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18500743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Tim Drake is visiting Wally West while accompanying his father on a business conference.Things get heated when they realize someone is following Dick and with ill intentions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of shoulder touching happened in this chapter whoops

Iris could tell her dad and little brother were exceptionally out of place at the annual Wayne Charity Event. Amidst high society men and women in sparkling gowns and velvet suits, Wally and Joe were easy to spot in the crowd- two guys who's very new suits very obviously came off the very cheap rack at Nordstrom. While slightly ill-fitting, she had to admit her family cleaned up nicely but were sorely lacking in social skills. As she milled about with her press pass and notepad, Iris could see Joe making enjoyable small talk with a man in a dark suit, tall with broad shoulders and dark hair. Across the way near the mini bar, Iris could see Wally sipping a glass as he people watched, nodding when a waiter politely refilled his drink. 

Heels clicking determinedly, Iris made her way over to Wally, playfully punching his shoulder so some of his champagne spilled over the edge of the glass.

"This suit cost me-" Wally began as he righted himself, fixing one of the lapels.

"Exactly fifty bucks according to the tag you left on the inside," Iris flicked the tag on the inside of the collar, "Waiting for someone?"

Wally placed his cup on the bar, "My friend said he was here. Wanted to do an interview with you and-"

Iris gaped, "Hold up, you mean to say your friend who I've never heard of got us these passes to this thing?"

Wally shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding Iris' gaze to smack his lips at a passing shrimp platter. 

"I guess?" Wally said, "Besides, these things are extremely exclusive, he had to pull a few strings."

Iris grinned, clutching her press pass tight in her grip- the plastic edge was cutting into he edge of her palm and the bends of her fingers but she didn't care- this was so big! The biggest story in the biggest event and Wally-"

Was chatting with some boy at the bar, pulling away from a handshake as the boy grabbed another drink. Iris pushed her hair behind her ear, eyeing him with his fancy embroidered suit and immaculately coiffed black hair. He was almost as tall as Wally, just shorter by a few inches, she would guess.

"-thing itches so much!" the other boy was whining, "Honestly, I wish Bruce let me pick my own suit for one of these things."

"Dude, I'm pretty sure you're idea of a suit is sweatpants and a ratty Superman shirt," Wally chuckled, "Gotta say, though, the embroidery is a nice touch. Didn't take you for a roses kind of guy."

"And I didn't take you for the plus one type," the man said and Iris resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Iris West, reporter for Central City Picture News," Iris stuck a hand out proudly, surprised by the tight grip the man had upon shaking it. She could see a family ring on the man's finger, heavy and dull in the bright lights of the gala venue. 

"Timothy Drake-Wayne," he said with a smile, "CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Wally told me you were interested in our charity this evening?"

For a minute, Iris felt herself getting light-headed. There was no way- no goddamned way- that her little brother was friends with a Wayne kid. For one, the Wayne family lived in Gotham. Another was that they definitely had better, more classy high society friends-

"I see your brain short-circuiting, sis," Wally poked her, then to Tim, "This was a surprise for her, sorry if it's weird."

Tim smiled, raising a hand in assurance, "It's fine. Unfortunately you get used to it being Bruce Wayne's son."

Iris was quick to place a hand on Tim's shoulder, then quickly retracted it, "Sorry-"

"It's fine, don't worry."

"-I wanted to discuss your green efficiency plan for Wayne Industries, actually, I didn't come to gawk, I'm so sorry-"

Despite her rambling, however, Tim smiled, an honest to god beaming that made his face glow and soon Wally was getting drinks while Tim Drake offered her his arm. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Wally give her a thumbs up. 

"So, Miss West," Tim lead her over to a table, pulling out a chair for her, "What exactly would you like to know about my contingency plan for greener industries?"

Iris flipped open her notepad, pen at the ready. She so owed Wally after this one, even if he kept it a secret. 

\---------

Joe West found talking to Bruce Wayne was easier then most people thought it was. Of course, he didn't realize he was talking to Bruce until a swarm of paparazzi haggled the man for a photo. And of course, Joe was roped into a few, considering he was standing right next to the guy.

"Sorry about that," Bruce apologized once they'd left, "My family and I don't usually attend to Central City events, but Tim insisted Wally come by."

"And we couldn't be more grateful, I'm sure Iris is taking up enough of your son's time with her interview."

"No harm, no foul, Tim's been trying to get word out about environmental workplaces and all that."

Joe nodded, taking a sip of his drink- the bubbles fizzed in his nose, making him shiver. He could hear Bruce chuckle, "Too much?"

"Iris dotes," Joe shrugged, "says I'm getting too old for some things and she might be right."

Bruce rolled his eyes, "Thank goodnes it isn't just me- five boys and a butler all day bemoaning me for my health, I mean-"

Joe snorted, "Five boys? Yikes. And I thought my kids were much."

Joe watched as Bruce scanned the crowd- they could see Wally and Iris talking with a boy Bruce introduced as Tim, watching as Iris and Tim then went off to sit at a table, leaving Wally at the bar by his lonesome. A few men and women he didn't know passed his peripheral and suddenly Bruce was pointing out a young man weaving through the crowd, approaching them with a younger child in tow. Bruce coughed, jutting his chin at them, "My oldest and youngest."

"Bruce!" the older man exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, thank god- Please tell Damian-"

Joe wanted to laugh at the smaller child, his cold glare making him look more like a grumpy cat than anything else. The way he pouted at his brother was comical, his suit slightly rumpled from his attempts to get away no doubt.

"Father, tell Grayson that I don't need minding, I'm not a child-"

"Damian, you're twelve, you need as much minding as you can get," his brother grinned, ushering him forward, "So you can tell Bruce what you did to the nice ladies a few minutes ago."

Joe knew he probably shouldn't have stayed for the conversation- watching a mam scold his child wasn't forthe public, but the look on Bruce's face was one Joe knew well- the resignation in his eye as he pursed his lips, the serious but not really serious tone with which he asked, "And what does Dick mean by this, Damian?"

"They deserved it anyway, Damian scowled.

"Damian, that's not true-" Dick started, jumping when Damian suddenly turned on his brother, his glowering making even Joe shudder.

"This happens every time, Grayson!" Damian snarled, "They flirt amd they touch but you're too uncomfortable to say anything and we both know it-"

"Dick?" Bruce said, "What is he talking about?"

Dick was still smiling, although the ends were pinched, not quite reaching his eyes. Awkward silence hung in the air as Dick scratched the back of his neck, biting his lip as he clapped a hand on Damian's shoulders. 

"I'm gonna go- Bruce, I'm gonna go-"

"Dick-"

"Go.... go over there!" Dick was getting louder, his face turning red, "I'm gonna go over there and drink until.... I don't know. Bye!"

And then he was gone. Tall, strapping Dick Grayson vanished, leaving Joe with a very befuddled Bruce and an extremely disgruntled Damian. 

Another swig of his drink and Bruce sighed, "I'm very sorry about that, Joe- Damian-"

"I keep saying to get Gordon or even the Bludhaven PD on it, Father," Damian was insistent, "You have to believe me!"

"And I'm not saying I don't believe you, but Dick is an adult," Bruce was gentle, crouching to look his son in the eye, "You need to let him handle things on his own."

"You can't be serious?" Damian scoffed, "Grayson couldn't even handle a pot on an open flame much less himself-"

"And I will discuss it with Dick later," Bruce's tone left no room for argument, "Now please apologize to Detective West, alright?"

Frowning, Joe allowed Damian to apologize (even though he could tell the kid wasn't going to let it drop any time soon), surprised when Damian suddenly thrust a phone in his face.

"If Grayson allows this problem to persist then as his more responsible brother I must take action," Damian demanded, "Put your number in my phone and I will call if a need arises."

"I am so sorry about this, Joe," Bruce managed through gritted teeth. Raising an eyebrow, Joe dutifully handed the phone back to the boy.

"I understand wanting to protect your family, Bruce," Joe said, "And if I may ask- the harassment, does it happen often?"

Bruce heaved a sigh, grabbing another drink from a passing waitress, "Can I discuss this with you in private?"

Glancing at Damian, Joe nodded. He didn't miss the triumphant glint in the boy's eye as he followed Bruce through the party. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!! Honestly writing this story excites me because I've never written the Bat Family before so I wanted to give it a try.
> 
> Also Dick is a mix of Titans!Dick and Comics!Dick because I haven't actually watched Titans aside from a few clips here and there
> 
> There are mentions of Nightwing 93, but I don't go into explicit detail. If you need me to add tags you think I missed regarding it, please let me know!

"Please, sit down," Bruce gestured to an opulent leather chair- Joe was reluctant to sit in it, the leather looling new and rough but he followed Bruce's lead, leaning forward with interest.

"So, Tim told me he met Wally during some volunteer work," Bruce began, "and I must say Wally is a bright young man, very smart and exceptionally skilled when it comes to.... fixing things."

Joe raised an eyebrow, "Fixing things?"

Bruce had the courtesy of looking slightly embarassed as he explained, "I was late for a meeting and was trying to get my car started when Tim and Wally showed up. Wally offered to fix the car and I haven't had problems with it since."

"Yeah, sounds like him," Joe agreed, his mind suddenly full of a greasy, dirty Wally sitting under the hood of the old mustang in their garage. A final gift from Francine before she passed, Wally treasured that car to hell amd back; always saying how he and Iris will go on a big roadtrip, maybe take Barry along when he was well enough from his coma.

"Tim also mentioned at dinner that night that Wally's father was a police officer- detective, but still," Bruce corrected himself, "and seeing Wally interact with my son was... interesting."

"Interesting how?" Joe asked, "If he tried anything-"

"No!" Bruce laughed, "No, Wally was the perfect gentleman, didn't even take the money I offered him for fixing the car."

Joe beamed at that. He tried teaching his kids at a good age that they should always help when it was needed. The whole "money isn't everything" discussion got old after a while but he was glad to get the point across. The leather creaked as he fidgeted, trying to make himself more comfortable in the chair, the material of his suit scratchy against the backs of his legs.

"I was just glad he wasn't trying to befriend Tim for his wealth," Bruce said, "I know how this may sound, but when you grow up in high society, there are expectations. How you act, who you talk to, things like that. It was nice to see Tim smiling because of something genuine rather than being tricked, you know?"

Joe nodded, "I'm glad that my son could provide that sort of friendship. A good friend is hard to come by."

Bruce hummed in agreement, folding his hands in his lap. Setting his jaw, he said, "It's why I wanted to ask you about being an officer. Again, I'm sorry Damian barged in like that,  but-"

"You just want to see your children safe," Joe finished for him, "as any good father should."

"I want to know if the Central City Police have ever handled harassment cases," Bruce was abrupt, "You get a few from papparazzi, maybe a few fan letters...."

"You said you have five boys, correct?" Joe asked, grateful for the lead.

Bruce nodded, "Dick is my oldest, then there's Jason, Tim, and Terry. Terry is away with his girlfriend for a vacation, so you haven't met him tonight. Damian is my youngest."

Joe nodded, reaching into his pockets and grateful when he felt his fingers brush avainst his badge and a tiny notebook. Originally he brought the notebook to doodle if he got bored, but pulled it out with confidence, flipping it open to write. The names were scrawled quickly, the ink spreading on the thin paper as he wrote.

"And have you had to have any restraining orders put in place?" Joe asked.

Bruce scrubbed his hand over his face, suddenly looking sead to the world as he wracked his brain.

"I've had no issues with Damian or Terry. As CEO of Wayne Industries, Tim had one restraining order put against a former employee."

Joe tapped the page, "And the reason?"

"The man punched my son when lay-offs happened and laundered money from the company to avoid losing his position." Bruce's voice was tight, eyes averting Joe's gaze uncomfortably. "He's in jail now, but I still worry."

Joe made a noise of agreement, "And what about Jason?"

"Jason is... a special case," Bruce managed, "There were some medical complications after a kidnapping."

"Care to elaborate?"

"When Jason was seventeen, he was kidnapped by someone.... very bad," Bruce explained, "When we got Jason back, he was rushed to the hospital- made it through, but a week after the restraining order was put into place, he died."

Joe knew what he must loom like right now to Bruce, as he almost stopped writing to give the man a curious glance. Iris told him he had that look when he was trying not to judge- a furrowed brow with slightly widened eyes, naw just slack enough to snap back into place if he had to hide his disbelief. 

"Unfortunately with Jason being legally dead, the restraining order was lifted on the man's accomplices, but the man is still in Arkham for now."

Sweat beading on his skin, Joe nodded, "I forgot you live in Gotham. Arkham breakouts are... pretty commonplace."

Bruce snorted, "You're telling me. Any other questions?"

Pushing Arkham to the wayside, Joe straightened his shoulders, "Dick is the last one to tall about. Does the harassment happen a lot to him? Judging from your other kids, they don't deal with this as much."

"Dick was the first I adopted," Bruce gestured, "Now he's twenty-five and at that age I understand he wants to date and work and go out with his friends." Bruce paused to take a sip of his drink- Joe didn't realise he had grabbed another, but didn't say anything, watching as he put it down with a soft clink against the side table. 

"As my ward, he's been in the public eye longer than his siblings," Bruce continued, "But recently a lot of people feel they can be touchy-feely with him- I understand touch is important, but as Damian said, Dick can be too nice to say anything."

Reluctantly, Joe wrote that down, "And have any of these people gotten violent with him?" 

Bruce shrugged, "Dick refuses to say much other than the few that I know about. There was a woman back in Gotham- Catalina Flores- she took advantage of him when he was traumatized. Unable to move, unable to...."

Tears were dotting the corners of Bruce's eyes as he trailed off, shoulders trembling as he tried to keep his composure. Silence hung heavy in the air as Bruce tried to regain himself, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry, I-" Bruce sighed, "She died a month after the restraining order was put in place."

Joe hated that he was even asking, but given the context, he had to know, "Did he ever have a kit done at the hospital? Victims should go right away for evidence."

"With our personal doctor, Lee Thompkins," Brice nodded, "Dick went to therapy for it for a while- sometimes still goes if he feels the need."

"That's good," Joe smiled assuringly at the man, "You have good kids, Bruce. From what I've seen, anyway."

Bruce looked grateful, returning the smile, although it wasn't quite there, "Thank you, Joe. If it's alright, can we discuss this another time?"

"Yeah, of course," Joe said. Pocketing the notebook, he pushed himself up, helping Bruce stand on slightly jerky legs. Outside the room they could hear the rest of the gala in full swing, almost knocked backwards by the cacophany of noise as they re-entered the party. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter woot woot!
> 
> I realize I forgot to add Cassandra to the cast, so she'll probably appear way later to compensate
> 
> Also this chapter is a tad bit of filler, but it kinda sets up for other chapters so it's still important? Kind of?
> 
> Enjoy!

The article ran in the Central City Picture News paper the next morning, Bruce reading through it as he dinked his spoon in a soggy bowl of cereal. He had to give it to Iris- her article was written with the utmost class, precise and to the point with the appropriate timing of jokes and a quick explanation that made it easy to understand if you didn't know the subject. 

"They should give Miss West a raise over there, huh" Bruce commented mostly to himself, "Very articulate and well done. They're wasting her talents on fluff pieces."

Across the table was Tim and Dick, both staring at something on a phone. He knew this week was almost like a vacation, and he knew he should relax a bit but Bruce was certain Alfred taught them better. 

"It's breakfast, no phones at the table," he reminded them, sending a warning glance at them from over the top of the paper. 

"Wally sent me the newest video og the Flash," was Tim's explanation, eyes still glued to the screen. 

Bruce sipped gis coffee. He'd heard of the Flash before; he'd graced the pages of the Gotham Gazette when Captain Cold had decided to challenge himself. 

It never was so easy to make a man in a blue parka quake in zhis snowboots at the sight of The Penguin having already beat him to most of the banks, nor the confused look on The Flash's face when a man in a full on black suit with bat ears and a cape showed up and sent Captain Cold crying back home. 

Well.... Dick and Tim didn't have to know he'd worked with the speedster before. Besides, his kids were smart. They'd figure it out sooner or later. 

"Speaking of, don't you have plans with Wally in half an hour?" Bruce stole a glance at the clock on the wall. 

"Damn-"

"Language, Timbo," Dick casually scolded his brother, eyes lit up at whatever they were watching the Flash do.

"First off, Damian is sleeping, second, that isn't a bad word and we don't live in the fifties like you do," Tim retorted.

"Damian is impressionable and we need to keep his young ears clean!" Dick insisted dramatically, "And here I thought you cared!"

Tim smirked, plucking his phone from Dick's fingers and slipping it into his pocket, "No, that's Cass and even then she'll just teach him how to do it in sign language."

Rolling up the paper, Bruce reached across the table and swatted at his kids, "Come on, you can argue later. Go get ready, you don't want to keep Wally waiting."

Tim rolled his eyes, but pushed his chair in anyway, dragging Dick with him despite the older man wanting to stay and eat. Bruce grinned behind his coffee mug as he took a sip, hesring Damian shuffling around upstairs while Tim and Dick stomped like elephants. 

\-------

Joe was still unnerved by what Bruce had told him last night at the gala, poring over his notes even though he should have been filing evidence from the last few cases they'd gone through. Today had been a hit and run- some poor woman trying to cross the street with her baby only to get hit by a silver car.

A damn shame, Joe thought, as Barry deducted from forensics that the woman had been twenty-seven, her baby only two years old.

Children dying was never something people expected, but it happened. The whole thing had reminded him of what Bruce said about Jason the night before.

Legally dead.

Medical complications.

A "special case."

Joe scratched his nose, throwing the notebook on his desk. It was all too much to think about this early in the morning. Glancing over at the desk next to his, he could see Barry flipping through case files of his own.

"How's it going, Barry?" Joe asked.

"Fine, I'm just.... not used to taking this slow," Barry admitted sheepishly.

"That's what you get for joining me instead of doing this upstairs, Speedy," Joe chuckled, "If you finish at least that one, I'll see if I can pull a few strings to let you go early- you look beat."

"And that's what happens when you're trying to corner a green shapeshifting tiger that may or may not be working with Grodd," Barry groaned, adding st what must have been a confused look on Joe's face, "Don't ask. Cisco is still trying to fix the claw marks in the suit."

"Remind me to send him and Caitlin thank you cards," Joe said, I'll never figure out how to handle this Metahuman stuff you guys do on top of working here."

Barry hummed in agreement and a quaint silemce hung over them as they returned to work. Joe listened idly to the chatter from his fellow officers as he signed off on a few more cases- Patty was at the cinema with a new guy last weekend, Montoya was transferred to the Gotham City Police Department and, oh did you hear? The Flash was running around after another of those Metahumans, I don't know how he does it!

Same old thing, different day, Joe smirked at his coworker's incompetence, considering Barry had been the Flash for almost a year now- a little hard to believe, since Joe couldn't imagine Barry not being the Flash anymore. 

"Hey, Joe?"

Joe managed to look up at Barry, the young mam staring. at him thoughtfully, "What's up, son?"

"You sure you don't need to leave early too?" Barry asked, "I have plans with Wally soon, but if you want , I can drive you home?"

Joe looked at Barry, then at his notebook- the page was still open to his notes on Bruce Wayne's kids, his gaze zeroing in once again on Jason Todd's name. Dick Grayson's was right underneath it, the letters a stark black against the white page. Under the light of his desk lamp, it hurt to look at. 

"That might be a good idea," Joe nodded, "I think I might see you and Wally off, though, I have something I need to discuss with his friend."

Barry looked confused, but thankfully didn't say anything as he scooped up the folders and began heading towards Captain Singh's office. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this done then my computer lost half of it so I re-wrote it. It might be a bit all over the place but I'll fix it up if I have time, I just really wanted to get the ball rolling on it

The basketball court was not in the best shape, Wally realized as he lead Barry and Tim through the old gate and into the court. The blacktop was faded from the sun, with half-missing chalk lines making up the court. The concrete had chunks missing in some places- old cracked sections of the sidewalk no one ever bothered to fix. Grimacing, Wally turned around and watched as Tim took everything in, following his gaze to glare at the basketball hoop itself.

"Someone could probably get tetanus if they even looked at that thing," Tim commented, fiddling with the basketball in his hands. 

"You sure it's safe?" Barry asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Eh, Bruce won't die if I don't tell him," Tim snickered, "Honestly, he's worse than Alfred sometimes when it comes to our health."

Wally exchanged a look with Barry, "We can go somewhere else if you want, Tim-"

Tim was already dribbling the ball, sneakers squeaking as he twirled around the court. Grinning, Wally fell into step with him, blocking and ducking as he tried to get the ball. 

From the corner of his eye, he could see Barry watching, hands shoved in his pockets as he leaned against the fence.

"Barry, you want in on this?" Wally called out, "We can do two on one?"

"I was never great at basketball-" Barry started, trailing off when Tim suddenly lobbed the ball in his direction. Wally hadn't even seen Tim move, just a jump to the left and he was off, grinning like a madman as Barry relented, shrugging off his jacket and approaching the three point line. 

"So, Allen," Tim said, "How's Central City?"

"I live here?" Barry laughed, "It's a good neighborhood though, "Good people, too."

The ball banged against the backboard when Barry threw it, "How's Gotham compared to here?"

Wally groaned. Of course Barry had to talk about the worst thing ever. According to Tim, Gotham was a melting pot of crime and despair; people were kidnapped, people were killed, they couldn't even keep their criminals locked up properly and had the likes of the Joker running around free! Wally thought coming to Central City was supposed to be a break from all the bad stuff going on over there but here Barry was bringing it up when he just got here. 

Almost as if Tim could read his thoughts, he sent Wally what was most likely a reassuring smile, "Definitely better then Gotham. Cleaner air too."

A comfortable silence fell over them as they continued playing, the echo of the ball against the court drumming in Wally's ears as they played. By the time they took a water break, Tim was winning three to none and they were all drenched with sweat. 

"You know normal people wear sweats and a tee shirt when playing sports," Barry pointed out, "Not button down Calvin Klein shirts and pants that cost more than my salary at the end of the month."

"Pulling out the money card, huh, Allen?" Tim nudged him playfully, "I have to say the people in Central City definitely dress to impress. Like that guy over there?"

Wally glanced around, spotting a young man across the street. He was tall, wearing what looked like a nice dress shirt and almost painted on jeans. He was talking to a child, dressed in green. 

They watched for a few minutes as the man spoke with the kid, bending down to say something, the man's form slightly rigid as he spoke. It was almost like he was nervous, on guard for something.

Something bad was all Wally could think of as Tim whipped out his phone, narrowing his eyes before typing something. From around the corner they could hear the squeal of tires, a very non-descript van careening down the block, skidding to a stop in front of the two.

"Wally, call Joe-" Barry was starting to get up but Tim was faster, shoving his phone in his hands with harsh directions. 

"I got a picture of the license plate, send it to Joe and call Bruce," he commanded, "Be sure to tell him it was my idea and mine alone because he sure as fuck won't like what I'm avout to do next."

Wally could only stare in confusion as the little girl ran off, leaving the man to scuttle away from two others who haf exited the van. Barry was starting to run towards them, struggling to get gis1 badge out of his pocket no doubt. 

"Your friend is gonna get himself killed," Tim scowled under his breath, rolling his shoulders before practically vaulting after Barry, graceful and fluid until all he could hear was Tim hollering at the top of his lungs "HEY ASSHOLES! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"

He wasted no time in dialing Bruce's number as he watched Tim then jump and roundhouse kick one of the strangers in the face. Barry wasn't too far behind with handcuffs. 

\------------

Captain Singh didn't know what to do. By law, he had to hold the men responsible. It was an attempted kidnapping but Dick Grayson insisted they be let off with a warning.

A fucking warning, as if there hadn't been a plan to throw a bag over his head and toss him in the back of a van, possibly never to be seen again. 

"Just be sure not to aggravate that, alright?" David warned, guiding his hand away from a slice on his neck- according to Barry, the kidnappper's had managed to slice him before getting attacked by Dick's younger brother- he could see the kid getting grilled by his father over at Joe's desk from the corner of his eye. 

Dick let his hand fall uselessly in his lap, "I'm sorry, I know, it just feels itchy."

David shrugged, "It'll feel that way until it heals, Mr. Grayson-"

"Is Barry going to be in trouble?" Dick cut him off, "He told me he was technically off duty and not actually a cop, but he helped me, and-"

David almost felt guilty at the serious puppy eyes Dick was giving him now- he looked more terrified for Allen's jib then his own wellbeing and while it didn't sit right, he'd just have to go with it.

"I can assure you, Mr. Grayson, that Mr. Allen is not in trouble for what happened today," David said, "We're all more worried about you right now, as it were. Is it alright to ask you a few questions?"

Dick seemed to visibly sag with relief, a small smile on his face as he leaned forward in his seat, "Of course, Captain, ask away."

"To start, did you know the men who tried to grab you?"

Dick shook his head, "It's my first time visiting Central City," he explained, "We're here with our dad for a business event."

David nodded. It made sense- the kid dressed extremely well, even if he was most likely going for the casual look. Everything about him screamed money, and while Central City was doing well economically, there were always those few people desperate for a quick buck. 

"And did anything seem off about the little girl?" David asked.

"She looked lost," Dick said almost uncertainly, "I saw her on my way to surprise Tim- my brother- at the basketball court."

Right; it added up so far with what Tim Drake-Wayne had told him: hanging out with Allen and Joe's son at the basketball court. At first they hadn't realized Dick was across the street, so while it was awful to think, even for a second, Singh knew he could rule those three out as suspects. 

"So you approached her and that's when the van showed up?" David lead him on- if Dick was able to tell him more, maybe a description, a face, anything-

"Yes- I heard Barry yelling from across the street and then Tim showed up and kicked one of the men in the face," Dick said sheepishly.

"Right," David nodded, "Well, unless you press charges, we'll have to let them go on bail. We can put a warning out to the public, put them on a registry list, but they'll likely be held for a month or two at most."

At this, Dick seemed to ponder, David practically seeing the gears turning in his head-

"Maye with two months they'll reconsider their lot in life," Dick said, almost under his breath, then louder, "Is the little girl okay, at least?"

David raised an eyebrow, "Yeah... yeah, she's safe. At home with her parents- listen, Mr. Grayson, I reslly think we ought to consider at least a guard-"

"No. I'm quite alright, Captain," Dick was curt, the sudden change in his voice startling David. His eyes held a gleam of resolution that made him uncomfortable, his lips pursed as he said, "Anything else you need?"

"They uses a child to lure you in, Mr. Grayson," David managed to get out after a beat, "That's concerning- according to your father you've been the subject of kidnappings before."

"And they've been handled by Comissioner Gordon then Captain Amy Rorchbarch with precision and ease." Dick said, "I don't need to waste your time anymore then I already have-"

"Dick."

David looked up to see Bruce Wayne towering over the back of Dick's chair, a hand squeezing his shoulder gently. His face was lined with small wrinkles, making him look older than his odd thirty or forty something years. 

"I know you don't know the CCPD like you know your own force," Bruce said, "but you aren't the cop in this situation, you're the civilian."

David paled, feeling the beginnings if a headache throb in his temple. Of course the kid was a cop. Of fucking course.

That just made this whole thing a million times worse. 

"But... Bruce, I-I'm fine-" Dick pleaded adamantly, "I-"

"I want to tell Comissioner Gordon, as well as Amy, alright?" Bruce said, more to David then Dick, David realized, "I'll leave their contact information with Detective West."

David nodded, "Which jurisdictions?"

"Commissioner Gordon for Gotham," Bruce sighed, "And Captain Rorchbarch from Bludhaven. They've handled this before and if you need any help, I trust them to come through."

"Is Tim alright?" Dick abruptly changed the subject, "Wally?"

Bruce slung an arm around Dick's shoulder, "Wally is just fine, he was unharmed. Although I will be having words with your brother back at the house-"

"That isn't fair, Bruce, you know he was only trying to help-"

"And he put our family at greater risk," Bruce sighed, sounding like he had this argument before. As Bruce thanked him and lead hus kids out if the precinct, David figured he probably did have this conversation a lot.

Comissioner Gordon was the first number he called when he got home that night, finishing up with Amy Rorbarch at one in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! It was raining all day and Days Gone is waiting to be played but the chapter wanted to be written lol

Damian could hear his brother on the phone when he and the others got home from the police station. Tim's friend was with them, sticking close to Tim as Bruce ushered them into the house. Dick was being petulant with whoever he was speaking to, rubbing the back of his neck like he did when he knew he was in deep shit. It was that and the heavy sigh paired with the sagging shoulders that told Damian whoever Dick was talking to just told him to keep them updated.

"You should listen to Amy, Grayson," Damian piped up from where he sat on the stairs, grinning at the way Dick jumped and grabbed his chest "She knows what's good for you especially."

"Damian, don't do that," Dick chided, hanging up his cellphone and slipping it into his pocket.

"What?" Damian pouted, "We all know you need to watch yourself better."

"And I know how to do that, Dami-"

"That cut on your neck and bruise on your wrist say otherwise!" Damian was surprised to find himself snapping, but after so many  years he was fed up; Sure, Grayson was considered appealing to many of the opposite and same sex, and yes he was harassed and kidnapped often but at twelve years old, he was tired of it. Damian knew he was overdoing it at Dick's embarrassed blush, but he didn't care.

"How about we all just take a break," Bruce cut in, "Damian, I understand your concern, but Wally's father and the Central City Police have the situation under control."

Damian scowled, "But Father-"

"I'm going to take a nap," Dick groaned, then to Tim's friend, "Wally, I am so sorry for any inconveniences-"

Damian was grateful this Wally character had the decency to keep his mouth shut, offering up a polite "As long as your safe, that's all my dad can ask for."

Dick nodded, lips pressed into a thin line before taking his leave, practically stomping up the stairs despite being in his twenties. Damian had a hard time believing he wasn't the youngest child sometimes, with the way his siblings acted. Damian watched as Tim clapped him on the shoulder, saying something to Bruce about taking Wally home before they both said goodbye.

Damian waited until he knew for sure the door was shut, "Are you going to tell Todd?"

Bruce sighed, "I'm sure Jason will find out in his own way, Damian."

"What about Cassandra?"

"She's intuitive. I'm also pretty sure Tim is texting her right now as he walks Wally home." Bruce reached over the railing and ruffled his hair, "Listen, champ, I understand the concern, and I think it's great you care so much, but your brother-"

"Has no self preservation skills whatsoever," Damian cut him off.

"I was gonna say he's an adult, but honestly, you're not wrong," Bruce chuckled. Damian wanted to say something, instead choosing to let his father wallow. He knew Bruce knew what was going on- people lusted after his brother, his brother did nothing and in the end everyone got hurt because no one in this family knew how to properly talk to anyone about anything. He twitched when he felt Bruce tap his forehead with two fingers, annoyed at the smile on his face.

"I can see the gears turning in your head, Damian," Bruce said, "I know how much you want to help Dick, but we can't compromise our identities. Tim already risked them today as it was."

Hmmm. Stupid Drake, risking the family name. Speaking of Tim, however....

"Wally is his friend, yes?" Damian asked.

"Yeah- his sister interviewed him for the paper," Bruce explained, "They're a very nice family, and Joe is the one who's taking over the case. Let him handle it, okay?"

 Damian grunted, but hr supposed it would suffice. He didn't plan on doing anything unless the situation became dire, anyway.

\------

"Oh my god, Wally, you're home!" Iris was immediately on her brother when she saw him walk through the door with Tim, ignoring his yelp as she squeezed him tightly.

"Iris!" Wally protested, "Get off me!"

"Dad told me what happened- Tim, thank you so much for bringing him home-"

"Not a problem," Tim smiled.

"-and you could have gotten so hurt! Tim could have gotten hurt-" Iris ranted and she knew her face was probably beet red but she didn't care.

"Tim, do you need a ride home?" Joe appeared from the stairwell, "It'll be no trouble."

"That'd be great, thanks," Tim said, "Probably give Bruce less gray hairs after today."

Iris wrinkled her nose, "Heard about that- is Dick okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit shaken up," Tim said, "Oh- how was the article? Bruce really liked it."

Iris beamed, letting go of Wally to wrap Tim up in a hug; surprisingly he felt sturdy, with strong muscles under his shirt and a pair of broad shoulders- it made her wonder if all of Wayne's kids were this... well built? Dick was certainly a looker with his high cheekbones and baby blues.

Iris mentally slapped herself. No! No, Iris, no! Now was not the time to think about that, he probably has a really pretty girlfriend, or he's probably into guys too, bisexual or pansexual or-

"-a good night, Iris," Tim's voice broke through her thoughts, and soon Joe was out the door with him, leaving Iris with a very annoyed, very disgruntled little brother.

"Dad told me what happened," Iris said.

"Yeah, I got that much," Wally said pointedly, "Dad took care of it."

"Barry wasn't there as the Flash?" Iris asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Barry wasn't able to do anything as The Flash," Wally said, "He was with me and Tim the whole time, he couldn't risk it."

Iris bit her lip- they were always saying that- Barey can't do this, Barry can't risk that. It was starting to feel like they forgot just how many times Barry risked his identity just to go out as the Flash. Whether it be a mugging or a burning building or a simple bank heist, if Barry saw an opportunity, he took it. 

She knew Barry put himself in danger today anyway; if he had managed to get any closer it could have been Barry at risk of getting his throat slashed instead of Dick.

Not that she wanted anyone to get their throats slashed, that... that wasn't a fun time for anyone.

Taking Wally by the hand, Iris lead him into the kitchen, "Let's make some mac n cheese for when dad gets back, yeah?"

"Save some for Barry," Wally said, "With the way he moved today he's gonna need all the calories he can get."

Iris laughed, but she knew Wally was right, as she took out bowls and spoons. Wally was at the stove, fiddling with the flame before putting a pot on top of it. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Titans!!
> 
> The team will be a mix of the cartoons and the live action show, since I like the aesthetics of the 2018 Titans but haven't seen much of it besides the trailers

When Kory woke him up for breakfast, Garfield didn't expect the first thing he saw in the paper to be Dick Grayson's image from a CCTV to be on the front page. He frowned at the two men trying to grab him- they were wearing jeans and tee shirts with heavy black ski masks, the amateurs- as it took him a minute to recognize Dick with the light brown hair rather than his natural black.

"He didn't dye it back after the undercover job?" Garfield asked, "He looks like a total surfer dude."

"You're focused on that?" Rachel scoffed to his left, snagging his spoon and taking a bite of his cereal, "He got friggin' kidnapped, Gar."

Garfield rolled his eyes, sliding the paper across the table, "Take a look at him and tell me he looks good."

"Dick always looks good, that isn't why I showed you this," Kory said. Rachel gave a small laugh, trying and failing to hide the small smile behind her sleeve. Kory cocked her head, brow furrowed as she asked "What? He does!"

"So you're saying if Dick- Nightwing, leader of the Titans-" Garfield stressed, "- were to rock this brown head if hair everyday, you'd be fine with that?"

"His hair does not impede his skill as a leader," Starfire said with confidence, "Besides, your hair is neon green."

"Hey! This is natural! Yours catches fire all the time!"

"And that's natural too!" Kory shot back, "Hair aside, I showed you this because Central City is obviously not safe- we have to go get him."

Rachel was still looking at the picture, head cocked curiously as she studied it. The story itself was pretty straightforward: Dick was walking down the street, Dick was seen by a malicious person, said malicious person tries to kidnap Dick, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, blah, blah, blah. 

The song and dance was getting really old at this point; Garfield thought Dick would have figured out by now not to get kidnapped, right? 

"Don't they have the Flash in Central City?" Rachel commented, "I mean, why wasn't he there?"

Garfield hummed, twirling his spoon in his bowl. The cereal was most likely cold now, sitting a soggy lake that didn't entirely appeal to him anyway. The only reason he was even eating cereal for breakfast was because Dick hadn't bothered to do any grocery shopping before leaving with his family. He pushed the bowl away, reveling in the annoyed looks Kory and Rachel gave him at the loud scrape of ceramic on granite. 

"He was probably busy rescuing someone else," Garfield said, "He probably couldn't get there in time."

Rachel shook her head, "That one blog, by that Iris West, she coins him as the fastest man alive. Wouldn't be using that terminology if it weren't true, right?"

Kory grinned at the statement, making Rachel groan, "Kory-"

"I know, I know, bad time for jokes," Kory giggled, "But fastest man alive? Really?"

Garfield let them bicker, stealing another glance at the photo. In the corner, one of the men had a knife, his free hand fisted in Dick's shirt. Dick himself looked pretty off-guard too, although if he looked closely, he thought he could see the slightest clench of his jaw.

He didn't do that often, and Garfield knew he only did it as Nightwing when he was about to go on the defensive. Never had he noticed it on civilian Dick Grayson's face. 

"Gar, what should we do?"

Garfield picked his head up to find both Kory and Rachel staring at him expectantly, "What?"

"Of course you weren't listening," Rachel muttered, then, "Kory thinks we should go to Central City and find Dick. I think we should stay at the house until Dick calls for backup."

Kory looked like she wanted to shout, settling for throwing up her hands, "Dick is too proud to ask for help! We have to go!"

Garfield didn't miss the flames licking Kory's fingers as she wrung her hands, nor the glow of the ruby set in Rachel's forehead as he thought about it. It made sense to wait for Dick; he wouldn't want them to get involved in something dangerous, and they all knew that being in the high society spotlight as he was, Dick was bound to have something like this going on once in a blue moon. 

"It's too risky," Dick would say, "Your identities are priority, you can't expose yourself just because someone else was being stupid."

Garfield wanted to laugh- he could hear it, clear as day, just like the first time they all met. 

"Hey," Garfield finally said, "Dick and his family have a summer house in Central City, right?"

Rachel nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, said he and his family were going to some business conference."

"Why?" Kory added, letting her hands fall to the counter, "What's up?"

"I think we should all pack a bag," Garfield grinned, "Let's go to Central City."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but I wanted to start introducing more characters. Hope I did okay with the Titans intro, I've never written them before!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!!!
> 
> From a new POV in the beginning, I wanted to get things moving along- Tommy Daniels is the OC in this story, just warning you he is not a nice person

He looked so stunning, lying there in bed.

Tommy Daniels knew when he saw Dick Grayson, he was the one. The one he wanted to hold and kiss and... well, just the one. Made for him, made to be with him, all of it. Every news article, every celebrity magazine, he saved, cutting up and hanging on his wall. He hacked into security cameras just to see him on his daily commute to work, even in his office, as he sat shuffling through paperwork.

And now... now he was here, in Central City, and he looked even more handsome in person.

Dick's chest rose and fell with each breath, and Tommy wanted so bad to climb through this window and stroke the strands of hair out of his face, but he knew he couldn't. Dick didn't know he existed, it wasn't the right time for them to meet yet. He watched as Dick tossed in his bed, arm hanging limply off the side of the mattress. He noticed his hair was lighter, still the mousy brown from an undercover case back in Bludhaven rather than the beautiful black locks he always sported.

No matter, when Dick was with him, they'd change it. He'd be the same pretty bird he once was, Tommy was sure. He spent a few more seconds on the balcony, reaching out to grab the latch of the door before he heard footsteps; quickly, he ducked out of the way, just in time to see Dick's younger brother walk into the room. The child couldn't be more than twelve, with the same black hair as Dick. Behind him was an older kid, perhaps in his late teens.

Tommy watched as they pulled the blanket up over Dick, the smaller child carefully folding Dick's arm so it no longer hung off the bed.

"How are you doing?" the teenager asked the younger, "Feeling okay?"

Tommy seethed as the child hopped up on the bed, kicking his feet idly as he cast a glance at Dick. Tommy should be the one sitting there, he knew it and they were going to realize it soon.

"Now isn't the time, Tim," the child scoffed.

"Wow, you called me by first name," the one called Tim said, "You must really be worried, huh?"

"This always happens! And there's no way we can do anything without risking ourselves-"

Tommy allowed himself to drift off, stealing a peek at Dick. He had turned over to sleep on his back now, his slender neck on display and oh, how Tommy wanted to kiss that neck, to mark it and claim it and-

A screech caught his attention and he looked down to find he'd accidentally knocked over a potted plant, dirt and leafy greens spewed along the floor, the ringing of the bronze against the tiled balcony floor absolutely deafening. Freezing, Tommy tried to steady himself, only to smack his palm flat against the glass door.

Picking his head up, he found both brothers staring at the door, Tim looking creeped out while the smaller one looked ready to launch himself at the door. Averting his gaze, he tried to get a good look at Dick- he was shifting under the blankets now and the bob of his adam's apple suggested he was starting to wake up-

"HEY!" Tim barked suddenly screamed, making even the smaller brother jump and glare at him in shock, "YOU SICK FUCK GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!"

\-----

Bruce almost dropped his coffee when he heard Tim's scream, the liquid sloshing over the side and onto his knuckles. He ignored the burning sensation as he raced to the stairs, taking them two at a time; the yelling was getting louder, with Damian adding to the noise. Heart racing, he grabbed the door to Dick's room and threw it open-

"Boys! What's going on!" Bruce demanded, chest heaving as he shoved his way inside, "Boys-"

"Th-There was this guy at the window!" Tim managed, frantically pointing, "He was- Christ, it was gross-"

Bruce took Tim by the shoulders, "Tim, breathe. In and out, okay?"

His son's face was beet red, his gaze going back and forth between his father and the bed, "Damian and I came to check on Dick and then we heard a noise and-"

"There was a creepy man ogling Grayson while he was sleeping, Father," Damian cut in curtly, "He had himself practically pressed up against the glass trying to watch him."

Indeed, he could see a very obvious handprint on the door, as well as an upset potted plant. In bed, Dick was miraculously still asleep despite the commotion, however he was waking up, soft groans and confused noises coming from the pile of blankets.

"Bruce, we have to do something," Tim said, lowering his voice, "What if that guy was related to the guys from earlier?"

Bruce squared his shoulders, approaching the bed as he noticed Dick sitting up. His shirt was rumpled and his hair was mussed, bags heavy under his eyes as he rubbed them free of sleep.

"Guys?" he asked blearily, "What's with all the yelling?"

Bruce was slow as he sat on the edge of the bed, wringing his hands in his lap. Damian was frowning at the window, Tim trying and failing to look busy as Dick looked between them all, "Tim? Damian?"

"I'm going to make a few calls," Damian growled, stomping out of the room, making everyone jump as the door slammed behind him. 

\---------

He picked up on the third ring, as always.

" 'Sup, Demon Spawn?"

"Now is not the time, Todd," Damian spat into the phone. He was in his room just down the hall from Dick's, sitting cross-legged on his Superman bedsheets. 

He would never admit to Jon that he used them and he was grateful Jason wasn't present currently to make fun of him for it. 

"Then what's up?" Jason said, the phone crackling as he spoke, "Cuz I might need to end this call early to deal with some.... things."

Damian scrunched his nose, but as he heard a gunshot followed by some henchman's high pitch screaming, he thought better of saying anything, "Whatever, Todd. You need to come to Central City immediately."

Another gunshot. Another scream. He could hear Jason muttering curses under his breath. 

"Yeah, read the paper about it- is Dickiebird gonna change back to black?" Jason said, "Cuz the brown is nice but does nothing for his complexion-"

"Correct, but not the point," Damian hissed, "There was a man watching him sleep from the balcony- he got away, but I think it best if we had more eyes on him just in case."

Sirens were blaring now- what exactly was Jason doing? Being legally dead, he can't be getting into much trouble-

Then again, Damian realized, this was Jason and he found trouble wherever he went. He wasn't entirely sure what Jason was like before he died, considering Bruce only officially adopted him two years into Jason's "return" but sometimes, he felt Jason was a little more unhinged than the rest of them. 

"What, you guys think El Creepo is gonna snatch the baby bird from the nest?" Jason teased.

"Todd. This isn't a rare occurence," Damian scowled, "I must call the detective after we finish our call."

"Detective?" Jason asked, "You already got the police over there involved?"

Damian rolled his eyes, even though he knew Jason couldn't see, "Drake was interviewed by the local paper about making the company more economical. We'll be in Central City for another week at most."

Jason sighed on the other end of the phone. There weren't anymore gunshots and the screaming had long since fizzled out, leaving an awkward silence hanging between them. 

"Alright, Damian," Jason finally said, "you call me again if something else comes up."

"You can't do anything from Gotham, idiot," Damian challenged.

"Let's just say I won't be in Gotham for a week or so," Damian could practically hear Jason's wry smile from over the phone.

Damian hummed, licking his lips as he said hid goodbyes, the phone reverting to dial tone as Jason hung up.

He hoped Jason got here soon.


End file.
